Future of Marketing Summit 30 - 1 August 2025
Ōtautahi Christchurch | New Zealand
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2025 Agenda

iMedia is ready for an insightful exploration into the world of Marketing. Our event features engaging keynotes, interactive panels and fireside chats led by industry experts. Discover valuable insights and actionable strategies to boost your business success. 

*Please note that session details are subject to change and will be updated regularly.

2025 Theme: Adapting to Change: Resilience in Marketing Leadership

Read more about the theme 

Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

Day 1

30 July 2025

9:30AM - 11:30AM
11:30AM - 1:35PM
12:00PM - 1:35PM
1:35PM - 1:45PM
1:45PM - 2:10PM
2:10PM - 4:45PM
4:45PM - 6:30PM
Free time

Delegates will be able to use this time to refresh, check-in with work and explore the surroundings. 

6:30PM - 7:00PM
7:00PM - 9:30PM
Welcome Dinner

The official Welcome Dinner & networking reception held on the first night is the perfect way to build relationships with key conference delegates, speakers, and sponsors in a more relaxed atmosphere. 

Dinner Keynote - Consumerography: Understanding and Engaging with The Future Customer

What’s really driving the next wave of consumer behavior? In this insightful session, social researcher and trends analyst Sophie Renton unpacks the shifting demographics, emerging mindsets, and evolving digital habits shaping the modern New Zealand consumer. From generational shifts to the impact of global and digital trends, this session will help marketers decode today’s customer psychology and prepare for what’s next.

Key takeaways:

  • A data-driven snapshot of the future New Zealand consumer and the segments reshaping the market.
  • How to engage Baby Boomers while staying relevant to Gen Z and Generation Alpha.
  • The impact of global, digital, and social trends on consumer decision-making.
  • Rethinking engagement strategies in a mobile-first, highly visual, and fast-changing landscape.
  • Navigating mega-trends to future-proof your brand.

This session is essential for marketing, brand, and digital leaders looking to stay ahead of shifting consumer expectations and create meaningful, lasting connections.

Managing Director
McCrindle

Day 2

31 July 2025

7:00AM - 8:25AM
Breakfast
Day 2 begins with breakfast and barista coffee.
8:25AM - 8:30AM
8:30AM - 9:05AM
9:05AM - 9:30AM
Leading Through Change: Skills Every Marketing Leader Needs Now

In times of rapid change, leadership isn’t about having all the answers—it’s about asking the right questions. This session focuses on how today’s marketing leaders can cultivate resilience, inspire their teams, and lead with confidence.

9:30AM - 9:55AM
9:55AM - 10:05AM
10:05AM - 10:35AM
Coffee Break
Tea and coffee is served.
10:35AM - 11:10AM
Marketing Masterminds Roundtables
Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you’ll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community’s evolution.
11:10AM - 11:35AM
11:35AM - 11:45AM
Brand Purpose in 2025: More Than Just a Mission Statement
Consumers are done with surface-level promises. Dive into how the most successful brands are redefining purpose—making it actionable, relatable, and central to everything they do.
11:45AM - 12:25PM
Marketing Masterminds Roundtables
Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you’ll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community’s evolution.
12:25PM - 12:50PM
Brand Storytelling in the Digital Age: Crafting Narratives That Resonate

People don’t buy products—they buy stories. Learn how to create authentic, emotionally driven narratives that connect with audiences and build lasting brand loyalty.

12:50PM - 1:20PM
1:20PM - 5:00PM
Activity
New Zealand Gin Journey
Hop on the New Zealand Gin Journey at the Gin Gin Venue, where you’ll sip your way through three local gins—each paired with the perfect tonic and garnishes to make those botanicals sing. A Gin Gin expert will walk you through the mystical art of gin-making, revealing secrets behind the distillation process and what makes New Zealand gins truly world-class,
So come for the botanicals, stay for the laughs, and leave with new connections (and maybe a bit of gin-induced wisdom). 
Go Karting
Get ready for the ride of your life at Christchurch’s top go-karting track! With the latest and greatest electric karts packing insane torque and power, you’ll feel your adrenaline hit the red zone as you race around the 260m track. Whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned speedster, this track will challenge even the most skilled drivers. After 14 heart-pounding laps, it’s time to kick back and enjoy some pizza and drinks in the lounge—because you earned it (or at least survived it).
Paint & Sip
Ready to unleash your inner Picasso? Join us for a 3-hour paint and sip session at the Chateau on the Park, where you'll get to sip wine, snack on nibbles, and (attempt to) create a masterpiece. Our team of expert artists will walk you through everything from beginner brushstrokes to advanced techniques, but don’t worry—we’ll leave plenty of room for you to go rogue. By the end of the day, even if your “abstract” art looks like a toddler’s masterpiece, you’ll still leave with something you can proudly hang on your fridge.
5:00PM - 6:30PM
Free Time
Delegates can use this time to refresh, check-in with work and explore the surroundings. 
6:30PM - 9:30PM
Celebratory Dinner

Join us for the Celebratory Dinner at The Terraces

Day 3

1 August 2025

7:00AM - 8:45AM
Breakfast
Day 3 begins with breakfast and barista coffee.
8:45AM - 8:50AM
8:50AM - 9:25AM
Marketing in Motion: Transforming for Success

Marketing leaders are often laser-focused on what’s going to market- campaigns, content, channels, conversions. But how often do we step back and apply that same level of strategic discipline to the marketing function itself?

Fact: You can’t unleash the full potential of marketing, without proactively evolving the marketing system - the inner mechanics of how marketing gets done and who does it. But a match-fit marketing function is unique to the stage, ambition and context for each business, so how do we work out what the goal-posts are, and the roadmap to get there?

In this 35-minute keynote, Jenn ten Seldam, Wingmaven Co-Founder and ex-CMO for SEEK and former Global EGM of Product Marketing at Xero, will challenge and equip marketing leaders to approach marketing transformation as an ongoing, high-stakes leadership responsibility.

You’ll learn:

  • Why being as strategic about the shape of your function as you are about your campaigns is the unlock for greatest Marketing ROI
  • How to determine what needs to evolve now, what should come next, and what can wait till later—so you don’t try to fix everything at once
  • What shifts when you lead as a marketing architect, not just a marketing operator

This session will resonate with anyone leading at the intersection of change and growth—especially if you’ve started to question whether your current function can keep pace with the ambition of your business.

Co-Founder and Director
Wingmaven
9:25AM - 9:50AM
9:50AM - 10:25AM
Marketing Masterminds Roundtables
Join us for a series of dynamic roundtable discussions where collaboration leads to innovation. In these 30-minute sessions, you’ll connect with industry peers to tackle common challenges, exchange success stories and explore cutting-edge strategies shaping the future of marketing. Forge meaningful connections, explore best practices, and become an integral part of the marketing community’s evolution.
10:25AM - 10:55AM
Coffee Break
Tea and coffee is served.
10:55AM - 11:20AM
Influencer Marketing 2.0: Building Authentic Partnerships for Real Results

Influencer marketing has evolved—are your strategies keeping pace? This session explores how to move beyond sponsored posts and build authentic, long-term partnerships with creators who genuinely align with your brand values. Discover how to drive deeper engagement, boost credibility, and create influencer campaigns that deliver measurable business impact.

11:20AM - 11:30AM
Breaking Down Silos: The Secret to Seamless Omnichannel Marketing
Consumers expect a seamless brand experience—whether they’re browsing online, scrolling through social media, or shopping in-store. This session dives into how to break down internal silos and create an integrated marketing strategy that delivers a consistent, frictionless experience across every channel. Discover how to align your messaging, teams, and technology for a truly customer-centric approach.
11:30AM - 12:05PM
Smarter Tools, Smarter Marketers: Educating in an AI Era

This panel brings together leading marketing academics and an industry voice to explore how to better prepare the next generation of marketers for an AI- and tech-driven industry. With tools evolving rapidly and expectations shifting in the workplace, we’ll ask: What should universities be prioritising in their marketing programs? What does true career readiness look like in 2025 and beyond? And what can industry do to nurture talent pipelines?

Associate Professor in Marketing
AUT
Professor
University of Canterbury
Director of Marketing
University of Otago
Chapter Lead (Head of) Digital Performance Marketing
Air New Zealand
12:05PM - 12:15PM
Closing Remarks & Ultimate Networker Prize
12:10PM - 1:00PM
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3

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